The Sigma 33 Class Championships will, for the first time be held during Cowes week 2010. Next year it is the turn of the South Coast to host the Class Championship and over the past several months the Sigma 33 committee has been looking at the number of options.

Over the years a purist, windward leeward, format has proved successful. Recently however there seems to be a trend that this format has split the fleet and whilst some boats will race whenever they can, others pick and choose events and the Championships has often missed out.

So after a number of discussion with Stuart Quarrie (The CEO of Cowes Week) and Flag Officers in the various clubs we have decided to break with tradition and hold the event as part of Cowes week 2010. Opinion canvassed during ’08 and ’09 suggests that for many boats outside the region holding the event during such an iconic regatta will encourage them to make the trip. There is no Fastnet in ’10 and again a number of the offshore boats have indicated that they will be prioritising Cowes Week.

The format is still to be finalised (as there are on going discussion about the format of the week itself) but the event will take place over 7 days starting 31st July to 7 August. The starts will be a mixture of Squadron line starts, Committee Boat starts and 1 long “offshore” race. The race officers will do there best to set course with a number of beats and runs, with reaching legs depending on the wind direction. There is no doubt that Cowes Week provides exciting, close one design racing that challenges all! Socials will be arranged throughout the week.

For those worried about the tidal reputation of the Solent a huge amount of “ local knowledge” can be at your finger tips using very accurate tidal atlases such as “Winning Tides”. There are also numerous guides on how to sail the Solent and Cowes week and we will be putting them together and publishing well in advance.

Accommodation and Moorings will also be a consideration and a guide to securing a place to stay will also be published – rest assured there are good cheap options ashore, including camping and static caravans in East Cowes as well as numerous crew houses etc. Moorings have already been reserved on the river pontoon and we are discussing the river taxi issue with Cowes Week and the Wash Up in late October.

We are in very early discussions to find some form of Sponsorship – difficult in these times! Any help or ideas very welcome.

Information will be posted on the Website and Jo Chugg will be keeping a list of those who intend to enter. Please let her know now if you plan to enter as we are already looking at venues for Drinks, prize giving etc.

Hi, I've seen the info on the website and it appears the class is proposing 4-5 comittee boat starts with windward-leeward courses.( I guess I missed the meeting where this was discussed).
This means that potentially 5 out 7 races could be windward-leeward.
We went to a Cork week a few years back, all the courses were windward-leeward. I didn't like it and we haven't been back.
For me W-L tests boatspeed and tactics, whereas the more traditional cowes week type course also tests strategy and Navigation.
If we were racing in Weymouth Bay, yeah maybe W-L.
We are racing in the solent, it is a unique and challenging area to sail and we should be fully utilising it.
My preference is cowes week type courses.
What does everyone else think?
Stuart
Sixes&Sevens

It's Cowes Week! Let's do Cowes week type courses, but I don't mind the odd W/L as I know some people prefer them and we'll have to reach a compromise. I like the sound of the early start coastal course, the longer the better!

Totally agree with your comments!! To clarify the courses would be a number of "offset" w/l legs which would start at a committee boat and then finish at the Squadron Line. What we are trying to avoid are the long reach to reach courses which leave little or no oppportunity to overtake and tend to be decided by the end of the first leg. They will not be pure w/l courses starting and finishing at a committee boat but should all for close one design racing through good boat handling, tactics, tidal stratagy etc, across the Solent.